Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 50
Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)
यज्ञोपवीतधरणं यज्ञो धर्मक्रियास्तथा | भृत्यानां भरणं धर्म: कृते कर्मण्यमोघता
yajñopavītadharaṇaṃ yajño dharmakriyās tathā | bhṛtyānāṃ bharaṇaṃ dharmaḥ kṛte karmaṇy amoghatā
श्री महेश्वर बोले—“यज्ञोपवीत धारण, यज्ञ करना और धर्मकर्मों का अनुष्ठान—ये कर्तव्य हैं; तथा आश्रितों/भृत्यों का भरण-पोषण भी धर्म है। और जो कर्म किया जाए, उसका यथाविधि, निष्फल न होने वाला पूर्ण निर्वाह भी धर्म है।”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not limited to ritual markers like the sacred thread or sacrificial rites; it also includes social and moral obligations—especially sustaining those under one’s care—and the integrity to complete undertaken duties effectively and without failure.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused setting, Śrī Maheśvara articulates a broad definition of dharma, placing ritual observance alongside practical responsibility and emphasizing that righteous action includes dependable follow-through in one’s deeds.